


Lights Out

by kinneyb



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 16:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4632708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgan finds an odd way of comforting Reid during a storm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lights Out

Derek checked the forecast every morning and he was  _certain_ there’d been no mention of a storm for today. If he’d seen a warning, he would’ve prepared things like he usually did to make sure Spencer didn’t end up panicking when the lights flickered and the windows vibrated with loud rolling thunder.

He was standing in the kitchen with Spencer preparing dinner when the first sign of a storm started; a low rumbling from outside. Spencer quickly stopped what he was doing - chopping vegetables - and glanced out the window.

Derek watched as Spencer stiffened, and he placed a hand on his arm, squeezing. “It’s okay, pretty boy,” he assured him, still convinced it had to be a passing sprinkle if anything. “It’s just a little rainstorm, no big deal.”

He nodded, smiling tightly at his boyfriend, before focusing back on what he was doing. Derek kept an eye out the window the entire time he was prepping food, unhappy with the development of small rainstorm to a loud thunderstorm that rattled the whole house.

He didn’t mind storms himself, his unhappiness all resided with the fact he knew Spencer hated them - or more accurately hated what happened as a  _result_ of them. 

Spencer didn’t actually mind the storm itself, something he’d explained dozens of times before to his lover, he just hated the dark and a common occurrence following storms was –

The lights flickered, and Derek heard Spencer make a tiny worried sound in the back of his throat that made him feel like shit for not knowing ahead of time there was going to be a storm.

At least he could’ve prepared candles and flashlights.

He placed his eyes on Spencer and noticed his hands were shaking so hard now he couldn’t even properly cut the vegetables. Derek reached out, placing a hand on top of his. “It’s okay, baby, calm down.”

“I need to - “ Spencer started, gesturing at the food on the counter.

Derek smiled, the lights flicker again, and Spencer tensed up. “It’s okay, just relax.” After-all he didn’t see the point in making a good dinner if the two of them wouldn’t even be able to enjoy it. “I’m gonna go look for flashlights.“

Spencer grabbed his arm.

“I’ll be right back,” he assured him gently, pressing a kiss onto the doctor’s forehead. “You don’t want to be stuck without flashlights, do you?” he asked softly, and Spencer paused before slowly nodding.

Derek patted his cheek gently before disappearing out of the room. He started in the living room, expecting he’d have a flashlight hidden somewhere even if just one. He rummaged through the drawers and grinned happily when he saw the glimmer of a flashlight pushed near the back.

He picked it up just as the lights flickered one last time, shutting off.

Derek’s heart jumped. “Spencer?”

He tried turning the flashlight on but it clicked emptily, doing nothing. Derek sighed heavily. Batteries, it probably didn’t have batteries. Mumbling angrily, he tossed the flashlight aside and felt his way back into the kitchen.

As soon as he entered through the doorway, he felt something - or more like someone - run into him. Spencer always lost his cool when the lights went off, almost like with the lights going off he became a new person. More honest, less guarded, and it made Derek feel even more like shit.

Spencer buried his face into his shoulder, clawing at his shirt, and Derek quickly started rubbing his hands up and down the doctor’s shoulders. He was warming him up while also trying to comfort him, able to hear the soft sobbing coming from him despite how far buried Spencer had his face in his chest.

“Baby, baby,” he breathed, “I need you to try and calm down.”

Spencer was trying, he really was, and Derek knew that but there was nothing he could do right now if he didn’t calm down. Spencer slowly let go of his shirt, his fingers untangling in the fabric, and he glanced up. He truthfully couldn’t see Derek at all but he knew he was there, he felt him.

“I’m going to get us to the couch, okay?”

Spencer nodded; the best answer Derek would be getting at the moment.

He kept a hand on Spencer’s side as he felt his way out of the kitchen. Spencer was glued to him, never once straying away. He kept his hand on Derek’s shoulder, finding comfort in the warmth spilling from him. Derek was thankful when his knee collided with the couch gently, signaling he’d made it.

Derek used his hand on Spencer to glide him down onto the couch. Spencer was unhappy letting go of Derek for the seconds it took for him to sit down. The minute Derek was down on the couch next to him, Spencer was all but crawling into his lap.

Not that Derek was complaining, though, whatever he needed to do to feel better. Spencer settled in his lap, and Derek wrapped both arms firmly around him. Thunder rumbled the house, and Spencer jumped, merely startled by it and Derek kissed the exposed skin on his shoulder from where his shirt was falling down. Spencer immediately relaxed.

“Pretty boy, is there anything I can do for you?” he asked softly.

Derek ran his fingers through Spencer’s hair, fingers catching in the tangled strands. He tried not to laugh as he wiggled his fingers free and mushed down the doctor’s hair.

“Talk,” Spencer said finally, and Derek furrowed his brows.

He leaned in. “What do you mean, baby?”

Spencer shifted, turning around in Derek’s lap, and slipped his arms around him. Derek’s hands fell onto Spencer’s back and he wiggled them under his shirt, knowing he liked skin against skin better and began tracing random shapes on his skin. “Just...” Spencer chewed thoughtfully on his lip, his voice muffled as he buried his face into Derek’s neck and breathed out. “ _Talk_. I want to hear you.”

Derek smiled, finding the request endearing. “What should I talk about?”

“Anything,” Spencer replied, his nose brushing against Derek’s neck, sending shivers down the other agent’s body, “I just like it when you talk. It - “ he seemed embarrassed as he continued, burying his hands into the fabric of Derek’s t-shirt “ - distracts me, comforts me,” the last was muttered but Derek definitely heard it.

He nodded, humming. “Okay, I’ll talk about you.”

Spencer moved away a little, glancing up at where he knew Derek’s face was but he still couldn’t see him. It annoyed him not being able to see the expression on his face - maybe it was the profiler in him, maybe it wasn’t, either way it was annoying. “...Okay,” he offered, sounding unsure. He didn’t understand why out of everything he’d want to spend time naming off stuff about him. He wasn’t too interesting.

Derek grinned, pleased that he was playing along, and readjusted himself, pulling Spencer closer. “Spencer, do you know what my favorite thing about you is?” he asked, not too surprised when Spencer shook his head no.

He felt along the doctor’s body before finally stopping once he’d reached his shoulder, going more slowly now as he traced his fingers up and cupped Spencer’s cheek. Derek brushed his thumb over Spencer’s cheekbone gently as he continued. “It’s your eyes.”

Spencer leaned into his touch, and if it wasn’t dark Derek might’ve seen the way his eyes glimmered. “Really?” he asked breathlessly, “but my eyes aren’t anything special, hazel is actually very common in the - “

Derek shushed him by quickly pecking his lips. “I’m not talking about the color, silly,” he said, and if Spencer wasn’t confused before he was definitely confused now as he listened, waiting for clarification. “It’s the way they brighten up when you’re spouting off statistics, the way you look at me when it’s late and you’re tired but you still manage to lean over and give me one last kiss.”

He made his point by kissing him again, lingering for a few seconds before finally pulling back. “And the way your eyes sparkle when I compliment you and I know you want to return the favor but you’re still  _so_ nervous to do anything because this is your first real relationship and you’re so afraid you’re going to mess it up somehow.”

“Am I - “ Spencer slowly licked his lips “ - really that obvious or are you just that good of a profiler and I’ve been underestimating you all these years?” He smiled a little, a bit of playfulness behind his voice. “Because I’m thinking it’s the latter.”

Derek chuckled, his chest rumbling underneath Spencer, and he grinned toothily. “I think it’s a bit of both if I’m honest,” he brushed his lips against Spencer’s, “because you  _are_ pretty obvious.”

Spencer moved his hands down, resting them against Derek’s chest. “I never knew you felt so...” he searched for the word, “strongly about my eyes before.” He reached up, brushing some hair out of his face. “It’s kinda embarrassing,” he admitted, face flushed.

“The good kind of embarrassing or?” Derek teased.

Spencer thought for a second. “Definitely.”

Satisfied, Derek continued. “That’s not all I love about you though.” Spencer laid his head back on Derek’s shoulder, listening closely as he spoke through the darkness. His mind knew it was still dark but it was almost like it wasn’t registering it, too focused on Derek and what he was saying. “I also like your lips,” he mumbled, softly brushing his thumb across the younger’s lips.

Spencer quickly kissed Derek’s thumb because he could pull it away. “Really?”

“Mhm,” he replied easily. “You never use chapstick but your lips are still always so soft,” Derek kissed him, nipping gently at Spencer’s bottom lip, who giggled and pulled away. “It’s so unfair, any woman would be jealous of you.”

Spencer smiled, ears growing red. “I also like things about you, you know.”

Derek laughed breathlessly, his hand resting in Spencer’s shaggy brown strands. He ruffled the hair, and leaned in. “Yeah but I’m the one who’s suppose to be comforting you right now,” he reminded him, smile widening a bit. “Not the other way around.”

“Right,” Spencer replied.

Derek rested his hands on Spencer’s hips. “So did it work?”

Spencer blinked, staring into Derek’s eyes - and suddenly it dawned on him that he could  _see_ Derek. Spencer glanced up, wincing when he looked right into the glowing light overhead, and he quickly peered back at Derek. "I didn’t even realize the lights coming back on,” he breathed out, surprised that he’d miss it.

“I guess I’m just good like that,” Derek muttered, grinning.

Spencer licked his lips, smiling. “Yeah, I guess you are.” He leaned in and pressed their lips together. It was a proper kiss this time, no pulling back too soon. Finally Spencer pulled away. “You know, Derek,” he smiled bigger than before and shrugged, “I think I do underestimate you sometimes.”

Derek seemed to think for moment before he suddenly pulled Spencer close, their chest brushing, and he grinned. “I’m okay with that, gives me all the more opportunities to surprise you.”


End file.
